Daemon4x4 - 4x4 & Off Road Technical Board

Finally got around to fitting that low coolant level alarm today. Apologies firstly to Haydn for my taking so long to get around to fitting it. I had the unit through here within a couple of days of giving him my address, but kept getting sidetracked with the fitting. But, finally, it's in and sorted. So, now down to the nitty gritty.

First, the contents of the kit. Everything required for installation is included within the kit. I have the unit with the inline adaptor for testing here. The parts included in the kit are an inline hose sensor unit for the radiator top hose, two rubber sleeves for the inline adaptor to cater for different hose diameters, two hose clamps, cable ties, cable, fittings, L.E.D bezel, bezel sticker and control unit. (Apologies for my photography skills, or lack of, btw).



Antshiel has done a write-up here regarding the under hose sensor setup which Haydn supplied to him for testing:

http://www.hiluxsurf.co.uk/forums/showthread.php

The inline hose adaptor was fitted with the two rubber sleeves to make the fit with the top hose tight rather than snug. They are already fitted in that parts shot above. This is the picture of the adaptor once the top hose has been cut and fitted to the inline adaptor:



The existing top hose:



was then removed, and the new adaptor assembly put inplace of:



The cable was then connected to the sensor:



and then the cable run went behind the passenger side battery, (it's tucked behind that brown cable which is partially visible):



and was then run through the grommet in the passenger side bulkhead, and down behind where the glovebox is, upto the centre dash console.

I've mounted the unit where the centre fan vents are normally located, along with the other gauges situated there, so it does deviate somewhat from what a standard install would be. Alongside the steering wheel underneath the gauge cluster would most likely be a good spot for locating the L.E.D on a standard dash layout. The control/buzzer unit can be cable tied in position wherever is convenient, so the L.E.D location is the only part which needs to be considered generally.

This is the control/buzzer unit once inplace and connected:



and once the gauge panel was back inplace, pictures with the L.E.D both on:



and off:



The L.E.D bezel that is supplied with the unit is a standard plastic snap in bezel. I used a chrome bezel instead merely to keep it in like with the existing setup, and also due to the fact that the panel the instruments and L.E.D's are mounted in is too thick for the snap in bezel to grip correctly. The standard bezel supplied will work fine for mounting in the plastic dash trim however, which is where the L.E.D will normally be fitted.

Full instructions for fitting and use are also supplied with the unit. They are easy to follow, and quite explanatory. Only one point differs within the instructions slightly, but that is due to the Surf design itself, rather than the instructions being incorrect. The instructions recommend that a gap of 80mm should be left between the end of the inline hose adaptor and the closest part of the radiator/stat housing. You will more likely have approximately 20 to 30 mm clearance between the end of the adaptor and the rad and stat housing hose connectors. It should still be ample to allow for movement, however. This is something that would be the case with any type of inline top hose adaptor, however, so does not reflect upon this kit in particular.

With regards to testing the unit, that is extremely straight forward. Normally the unit will be wired into an ignition switched live, so that it comes on when the ignition key is inserted and the vehicle started. Testing is done merely by turning on the ignition before you replace the coolant removed prior to installation of the system. This should, if everything is connected and operating correctly, make the L.E.D light constantly and the buzzer/control module emit a warning tone. (An extremely audible tone it is too). Not much chance of you ever missing the fact that the unit has triggered.

Next step is to turn the ignition off, once successful testing has been carried out, and replace the coolant removed from the system earlier. [Standard Surf coolant system top up rules apply here.] After the coolant has been replaced, turning the ignition on again should cause the L.E.D to light and the buzzer to sound briefly, (for approximately a second or so), before they both become inactive. If the buzzer and/or L.E.D remain active after that period, you haven't refilled the coolant system correctly. Other than the obvious precaution of keeping an eye on the coolant system for the next day or so to make sure that none of the hose clips need tweaking up and that no coolant is escaping, there is nothing more required. Unless you do ever suffer a coolant loss, the system should now merrily sit there keeping an eye on the coolant level, with no further attention required.

General overall view of the system

Truth be told, I honestly can't fault it. The control/buzzer unit itself seems of robust build quality, the kit comes with everything required for installation, and the installation itself is as simple and straight forward as one could possibly hope for. The instructions are also practically fool proof, so even the most technically challenged person regarding electrical addons should find the instructions easy to follow. As skeptical as I usually am where electronic devices are concerned, I must admit to actually taking a liking to this sytem.

Finally, thanks to Haydn for supplying this kit for testing. The link to the webpage for his unit is here:

http://www.enginesaver.com.au

The link above points to the original kit which caters for the Mazda Bongo. I believe Haydn is in the process of adding a specific page for the Surf kit. I'll update the link when it is available.